Controlling Chronic Pain with Magnetic Therapy
The missing element in MS treatment
Directly from the website about magnet therapy: http://www.alexchiu.com/eternallife/proof.htm
From Monica Gertsson
Jan 20th, 2001
Hi Alex
Here are some of the testimonies.
I am 53 year old lady. I have had fibromyalgia since -79, and living in a cold climate like Sweden is not the best for me. The pain have been terrible, to the point that I was not able to get out of bed. I also have diabetes type II and Fatigue Syndrome. And overweight. And my eyesight was getting worse due to my diabetes. I can with a strict diet hold my sugar down. But lately have not. I started with the regular Eternal Life devices both rings and footbraces early November 2000.
I could feel a tingling in my fingers just after 30 seconds putting them on. I thought, this can be true. Nothing can react so fast. So I took them off again. And put them on after 10 min. Sure enough, the same sensation in my fingers. That night I slept very good, with very strong dreams. And I have not slept for not even two hours straight before, this time seven hours. That have not happened in at least 20 years. And in four days, I woke up and could move without problem, still some pain, but not as much. And had very vivid dreams, and I am working with dreams, and have dreamcourses. So it is very good.
After one more week, I got the footbraces. And wow, after just one night, I got out of bed without pain. That have not happened in years. But in a few hours after I have taken the rings and footbraces off the pain starts to come back, but only half as much. That was not enough, being overweight I felt I had shrinked my flesh a bit, that was the feeling every morning, but again after a few hours, it felt the same as before. And another big advancement is my eyesight, it improved so I had to get new glasses. This is getting expensive, hehe. But worth it. Mentally I am more positive and content. I am not as worried as before. That is a great effect for someone who have been burned out before. I also have gotten rid of my Fatigue Syndrome, that stays away even when I am off the magnets for hours.
After two months of use, I have realized, that I don't need as much vitamins as before to do the same effect. It seems like with a higher circulation the body can utilize it better. In Sweden is also a test being done at one big Hospital with patients that have depression. That is helping a lot. That can some of my friends who bought the rings agree too also.
I have now used the magnets for little over three months. And once again, did I have to change glasses. And finally, the sugar seems to have dropped slightly. But the hunger is getting more intense. I use to do Qi-Gong before, and just using these devices for three months is more than one year of Qi-Gong, much more. I am also growing my hair much faster. And the texture have change. It is kind of softer texture. And finally I am in so much less pain now after using the devices for three months. And this time the pain does not come back. And they are actually very good to have when you meditate. I seem to move into a deeper state faster with them on. Contemplation with visualization is also going very good with them on....
Some of my friends progress. One of my friends Anette, 40 years old. She is a Qi-Gong instructor. She is amazed at how fast the circulation moves...
Another friend Christel, she also have fibromyalgia, her pain is much less too. And she sleeps better, and have been able to get rid of her antidepressant....
Monica Gertsson
To try the magnets Monica is using click here.....
from: http://www.newswise.com/articles/2001/2/MAGNET.UVM.html
University of Virginia, HSC
24-Feb-01
Study on Magnet Therapy Shows Limited Potential for Pain Relief
Library: MED
Keywords: MAGNET THERAPY ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE UVA VIRGINIA VA
Description: University of Virginia researchers published results from one of the first clinical research studies conducted on magnet therapy for pain. (J. of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2-22-01)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Catherine Seigerman 804-924-5679
***EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2001
per the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine ***
U.VA. STUDY ON MAGNET THERAPY SHOWS LIMITED POTENTIAL FOR PAIN RELIEF
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Feb. 23 -- University of Virginia researchers published results from one of the first clinical research studies conducted on magnet therapy for pain in today's issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Although the results of the study were inconclusive, magnet therapy reduced fibromyalgia pain intensity enough in one group of study participants to be "clinically meaningful," the researchers said.
The study was conducted with partial support from a grant from the National Institutes of Health Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Three measures of pain were used: functional status reported by study participants on a standardized fibromyalgia questionnaire used nationwide, number of tender points on the body and pain intensity ratings. Data were compiled for 94 fibromyalgia patients randomly divided into four groups. One control group received sham pads containing magnets that had been demagnetized through heat processing. The second control group received only their usual treatment for fibromyalgia. Two other groups received active magnetic pads: one group used Pad A, which provided whole-body exposure to a low, uniformly static magnetic field of negative polarity. The other used Pad B, which exposed subjects to a low static magnetic field that varied spatially and in polarity. The subjects were treated and tracked for six months.
"When we compared the groups, we did not find significant statistical differences in most of the outcome measures," said Ann Gill Taylor, R.N., Ed.D., co-investigator for the study, professor of nursing and director and principal investigator of the Center for Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies at the University of Virginia. "However, we did find a statistically significant difference in pain intensity reduction for one of the active magnet pad groups. The two groups that slept on pads with active magnets generally showed the greatest improvements in outcome scores of pain intensity level, number of tender points on the body and functional status after six months."
Pad A group exhibited a consistent improvement across all four outcome measures at three and six months. Pad B group showed an improvement in all outcomes at three months, and these improved scores were maintained at six months. The sham pad group and the group receiving only usual care did not exhibit the same improvements.
The magnetic fields of the mattresses were tested thoroughly to quantify how much exposure, or dosage, study participants were receiving, the researchers said.
"Finding any positive results in the groups using the magnets was surprising, given how little we know about how magnets work to reduce pain," said the study's principal investigator Dr. Alan P. Alfano, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and medical director of the U.Va. HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital. "The results tell us maybe this therapy works, and that maybe more research is justified. You can't draw final conclusions from only one study."
"To our knowledge, no other studies on magnet therapy have been done in as rigorous a clinical setting as U.Va., and this study was the largest conducted so far," Taylor said. "Nevertheless, larger studies are needed to find clear answers about magnets' safety and efficacy in treating pain."
"Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatological condition for which there is no generally effective treatment," Alfano said. "People who have fibromyalgia try everything and magnetic mattress pads are one of the most popular complementary products they try. We did this study because we hoped to provide some useful information for them.
"In the past decade, people in this country have been using magnets for everything from tennis elbow to carpal tunnel syndrome. They want to do something for their pain that doesn't involve medication or injections, and magnets seem relatively benign. But people don't know how to evaluate magnetic products when considering what to buy. There are no standards for magnets yet. So researchers need to find out what dosage, field strength and period of exposure is proper, what side effects may occur and what conditions benefit most," Alfano said.
Two other basic science laboratory studies currently underway at U.Va. are investigating the effects of pulsed and static magnetic fields on neural processes and functions and the effects of magnetic fields on microvascular capillary blood flow.
from: http://www.immunesupport.com/Library/showarticle.cfm?ID=383
Controlling Chronic Pain with Magnetic Therapy
by Source: Baylor College of Medicine
ImmuneSupport.com
01-01-1999 Do magnets have healing power? Alternative practitioners have long said yes, and recent studies suggest that they may be right.
In a recent study published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found magnets to be more effective than sham magnets at blocking pain caused by post-polio syndrome.
In the controlled study, 76% of patients treated with a magnet got pain relief. Only 18% treated with a sham magnet got relief.
In other studies, magnets have proven effective against:
Fibromyalgia. Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston showed that magnets help reduce muscle pain caused by this mysterious condition.
In the study, patients who slept on magnetic mattresses experienced greater pain relief than patients who slept on ordinary mattresses.
Diabetic neuropathy. In research conducted at New York Medical College in Valhalla, magnetic footpads were more effective than nonmagnetic footpads at relieving numbness, tingling and pain associated with this diabetes-related problem.
Evidence suggests that roughly 80% of chronic pain sufferers could benefit from magnetic therapy. That's true for virtually any form of pain.
How Magnets Relieve Pain
When held against the skin, magnets relax capillary walls, thereby boosting blood flow to the painful area.
They also help prevent the muscle spasms that underlie many forms of pain-apparently by interfering with muscle contractions. And they interfere with the electrochemical reactions that take place within nerve cells, impeding their ability to transmit pain messages to the brain.
Of course, chronic pain can be controlled with aspirin and other over-the-counter and prescription painkillers. But unlike pain medications, magnets do not carry any risk of side effects.
Medical magnets come in a dizzying range of shapes, sizes and strengths. They range in price from about $5 all the way to $900. It's usually best to start with one or more coin-shaped magnets made of the rare earth metal neodymium-boron. For most applications, these ΟneoΣ magnets work just as well as - and cost less than - other magnets. Cost: About $10 apiece.
Magnetism is measured in gauss. A typical refrigerator magnet is about 10 gauss. That's too weak to penetrate the skin-and unlikely to be helpful for anything more than a minor bruise.
Medical magnets range in strength from 450 gauss to 10,000 gauss. The higher the gauss, the better the pain relief.
Since magnets aren't always helpful, it's best to purchase yours from a company that offers a money-back guarantee of at least 30 days.
For a free list of magnet manufacturers and their phone, contact the North American Academy of Magnetic Therapy.
The magnet should be affixed to the skin directly over the painful area. Some people use ordinary adhesive bandages to affix the magnets. But Transpore - a paper tape made by 3M - works better. It holds well, and it doesn't pull the hairs from the skin when its removed.
If the magnet fails to provide relief within a few days, reposition the magnet over the nearest acupuncture point. To locate these points on the body, consult a book on acupuncture.
If repositioning the magnet fails to bring relief within 30 days, odds are it's not going to work. Switch to another type of magnet...or speak with your doctor about using painkilling medication or another conventional approach.
Aching feet. Magnetic insoles can relieve foot pain and the achy feeling in the legs after you've been standing all day.
Arthritis. If pain is limited to your fingers, a neo magnet taped to the affected joint should do the trick. Or-you can wear a magnetic wristband.
For fibromyalgia or for arthritis pain throughout the body, a magnetic mattress is usually best. If the $900 cost is too much for you, opt for a magnetic pad, which will usually cost between three to five hundred dollars.
"A surfeit of positive ions also causes blood to flow more slowly..., and as a result oxygen in the blood is not carried to the muscles as efficiently, resulting in muscle pain." - page 31
The Book of Magnet Healing, a Holistic Approach to Pain Relief by Roger Coghill
November 12, 2002
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is nothing short of tragic. One of the unique features of the affliction is that it strikes during the prime of life.
Reuven Sandyk, M.D., M.Sc., of Touro College in Dix Hills,New York, got my attention several years ago when he hypothesized that there is a relationship between MS and the calcification of the pineal gland. This small gland contains the brain's highest concentration of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our sense of well-being.
Dr. Sandyk found that in MS patients there is actually a 100 percent incidence of pineal calcification. Of course, since many people have pineal calcification and never develop MS, it cannot be blamed as the sole cause of the disease. But according to Dr. Sandyk's theory, the symptoms of MS are directly related to reduced levels of serotonin in the brain due to calcification of the pineal gland. Indeed, a serotonin deficiency would seem to explain many of the symptoms associated with MS: depression, sleep disorders, carbohydrate craving, heat sensitivity, and fatigue.
Based on this theory, Dr. Sandyk's treatment of choice for MS involves the use of electromagnetic therapy (EMT) to stimulate the pineal gland and jump start the production of serotonin. This procedure is simple and safe: The magnets are placed at the temples for 30 minutes. Dr. Sandyk claims that 60 percent to 70 percent of his MS patients exhibit "marked improvement."
Electromagnetic therapy is not a cure, but it could be a valuable tool in helping to control MS. Unfortunately, like so many alternative medicine treatments, EMT is not readily available in all places. Contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine (800-532-3688 or 714-583-7666 or on the Internet at www.acam.org) for a list of alternative physicians in your area who may be able to help you with this type of therapy.
Beyond Dr. Sandyk's EMT therapy, there are other ways to naturally increase your body's production of serotonin. L- tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin. There are several food sources of L-tryptophan that you should incorporate into your diet: raw milk, sunflower seeds, bananas, turkey, nuts, and corn.
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